The Message
by skittery's bad mood
Summary: Spot knows and there isn't a thing Skittery can do about it.


Disclaimer: Don't own Newsies, just play in their world sometimes.  
  
The Message  
  
There is a click as a phone hangs up. "That was him again," Spot says quietly. He turns to Skittery who is cowering on the sofa, a blanket pulled up to his chin. "Dat plus the two messages he left makes three times today."  
  
"I hafta get outta here, Spot. He'll find me. Sooner or later." He jumps up and looks around wildly.  
  
Spot hurries to his friend and pushes him back down on the sofa. "Ya gotta calm down." Spot sits down beside Skittery whose eyes are still wide with panic. They sit in a profound silence.  
  
The phone rings again, and Skittery jumps so high, he nearly comes off the sofa.  
  
"What does he want from me!?" He screams. He's on his feet now, pacing.  
  
Spot leans over and checks the caller I.D. "Calm down, Skits. It's only Jack." He picks up the receiver again.  
  
"Heya Jackie-boy." There's a pause. "Uh-huh." Spot looks at Skittery but says nothing. "I dunno. Skits ain't feelin' so good right now." Another pause. "I'll ask him. Bye Jack."  
  
"Well?"  
  
"Dat was Jack."  
  
"No kiddin'."  
  
"He's havin' a thing over at his place tonight and he wants us ta come."  
  
"Are ya crazy?" Skittery hisses. "I can't go out dere. Dey've probably got cops prowlin' every street corner, waitin' for me ta appear, unsuspectin' and all. Dey do it all da time." He continues to pace and is chewing tensely on his finger nails.  
  
"Look, Skittery. I know what you're up to and maybe you should just—"  
  
"You know nothin' about dis Conlon!" Skittery points a finger at the other boy who narrows his eyes.  
  
"I know more dan you think!"  
  
"Oh yeah?"  
  
"Yeah! Who da ya think answers da phone when you ain't here? Me dat's who! I know everything, Skittery." His face is so close now and Skittery begins to back up.  
  
"Look, Spot. It ain't what ya think!"  
  
"It's exactly what I think, Skittery. I saw dis comin'. I shoulda never trusted ya all by yourself dere." Spot looks away.  
  
"Spot. I...I...just got hooked. I couldn't pull myself away from it."  
  
Spot looks back up. "I know, Skits. Dat's how it was for me. Da first time I went. But I wisened up. Da laws da law. And you're breakin' it."  
  
Skittery hangs his head. "I didn't realize—"  
  
"Dat's da problem with ya. Ya never think about things. Dat's why you're always getting' yourself inta trouble. Now go back ta your room and get it!"  
  
"No, Spot."  
  
Spot's eyes narrow. "I don't think ya heard me right, Skittery." He lowers his face until it is level with Skittery's. "I said go and get it."  
  
Skittery raises himself to his full height and folds his arms stubbornly across his chest. "Why don't ya make me?"  
  
Spot's eyes widen and a smirk graces his lips. "If dat's how ya want ta play, dat's how we'll play." Spot's fist connects with Skittery's jaw and Skittery stumbles sideways with the force of it.  
  
"Ow! Geez, Spot." Spot laughs, and Skittery takes his moment of distraction for retaliation. He punches Spot hard in the stomach. Spot doubles over, his smile no longer present.  
  
A large foot kicks Skittery's shin. Skittery groans, curses a few times and then aims for Spot's nose, which he hits.  
  
Spot recovers a moment later, wiping the blood now flowing freely from his nose.  
  
"Dat's it!' He charges at Skittery, and sends the taller boy sprawling backward. They're yelling and cursing and punching and struggling until they are pulled apart by two sets of arms.  
  
"What's da big idea?" Racetrack asks, trying his hardest to restrain Spot.  
  
Mush is doing the same with Skittery.  
  
"Dis midget attacked me!" Skittery snarls.  
  
"Midget?! Why you—" Racetrack has to push Spot into the wall in order to hold him back.  
  
"Didja attack him?" Race asks.  
  
"He asked for it," Spot says simply. He stops struggling for a moment.  
  
"What's dis all about?" Mush asks Skittery.  
  
"Nothin'." Skittery replies.  
  
"Listen ta da answerin' machine! Skittery is a thief!"  
  
"I am not a thief!" The latest insult has sparked another burst of energy and Skittery breaks free of Mush's grip. He lunges for Spot and at the last second decides to take down Race as well.  
  
There is more struggling, more shouting, and tons more swearing, and Mush is trying his best to break the three apart but they're going at it like starving hyenas after the last piece of meat.  
  
"That's enough!"  
  
The voice is loud enough to stop the fight. Itey is standing just inside the door, a large paper bag full of groceries in his arms. The others avert their eyes as he continues to stare at the scene before him.  
  
"What in da name of all that is green is goin' on here?"  
  
He waits for a reply.  
  
He gets silence for an answer. "If dat's how its goin' ta be, you can all feed yourselves tonight." There's an instant uproar as everyone begins talking at once.  
  
"—he punched me in the nose—"  
  
"—and then we went to get some bread but they were all sold out—"  
  
"—Jack said he wanted us ta come for his party—"  
  
"—I ain't a thief, and it hurts, ya know, just because I ain't as smart as all dem others—"  
  
"One at a time!" Itey's voice quiets them again. He makes his way into the kitchen and begins unloading the groceries.  
  
"Just go and get it!" Spot hisses to Skittery who is nursing a swollen eye.  
  
"Fine. I'll do it. But I won't like it!" Skittery disappears for a moment and then returns with something wrapped in a pink bath towel.  
  
"Hey, dat's my towel!" Snaps Racetrack , trying to grab it.  
  
"Yeah yeah. You'll get it when I'm done with it." Skittery tucks the bundle into his shirt which gets him another lecture from Race. Spot grabs Skittery's arm.  
  
"Where're ya goin'?" Itey demands.  
  
"Listen ta da answerin' machine," Spot snaps. "It explains everything." They disappear out the door.  
  
"You two go and clean your rooms," Itey orders Race and Mush. Mush and Race grumble, but do as they are told.  
  
Itey finishes putting away the groceries and then looks at the answering machine. There had to be one heck of a message on it to cause such a brawl. He pushes the button.  
  
There's a beep and then a frustrated sounding voice. "This is Bryan Denton down at the library...again...This message is for Mister Skittery...again...Just another reminder that the book you checked out "Where the Wild Things Are" was due back two months ago. Also another reminder that you can probably buy the book at a bookstore for less than it will cost you to return it to us. Have a good day." There is a click as the phone hangs up. 


End file.
